Bednar

This week was nasty sick (that means really really good)!  Wanna hear about it?  Well oooohh kay!

We had a big ol fireside on Sunday night for all three congregations of Odessa, the Spanish Branch and both English wards.  The purpose was to get people pumped for the missionary efforts of 2015.  It all honesty the fireside sucked mostly hahaha.  Only like 50 people total showed up, but it was still a good time.  Some guy from Midland, Brother Taylor, came and showed us slides from his mission 40 years ago in Mexico.  He served in the Yucatan Peninsula and has way cool stories.  They literally baptized 1000s.  His stories were ight...but the real neat stuff were the stories he told about his mission president.  Holy crap they were insane!  I wish I had more time to write some of them out...but I don't....so just read Alma 17 about Ammon's mission instead.  Right after his talk and stories everybody went into the gym where we, the missionaries, had set up 4 real neat booths about 4 basics of missionary work. Only like 15 people went to that part hahaha, but it was still really fun to set up and teach and stuff.  I was the Spanish missionary in charge of the scriptures booth.  I spent 2 personal studies making a list of comparison scriptures between the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  It was SUCH A FUN STUDY!!  For the booth I just showed people the list or I would ask them their favorite scripture then show them one very similar in the opposite book of scripture. It was a lot of fun!

We had interview on Wednesday with President Heap.  I love that man so much.  He calls me "son".  He calls all the elders son, actually, and we all love it. I can wait till I'm old enough to call 20 year olds son, that's gonna be neat haha.  He challenged me to read Preach My Gospel 20 minutes each day. He made some real real neat promises that would come if I did that, so I am really happy.  Already I've seen my personal testimony and knowledge of the lesson grow. That man truly is inspired from God!

Fracisco got baptized!!  It was real good.  I forgot my camera today, so I'll send y'all a picture next week.  He's just a real humble guy who does some real good stuff.  The branch loves him and things are going real well.  The water in the font was real cold this time, I don't know why.  I felt like I was in some third world country.  Hahaha just kidding.  I'm so spoiled to be here in Texas! Francisco even went and bought a white shirt and tie at Salvation Army! Now that is dedication haha.

Well, obviously the highlight of my week was on Friday when we got to drive up to Lubbock and be instructed by Elder Bednar all day!  IT was SO GOOD!  Holy crap, it was good. Incredible.  He's just a real life human being, who woulda thought?  He was funny and everything.  He taught us in a really interesting way in that he didn't really teach us.  He gave us homework to read before, just three talks, and then when we got there he asked us to tell him what we learned.  He then would ask a follow up question and testify and teach a little bit more on whatever the subject was.  He focused so hard on not having him teach us, but letting the spirit teach us.  He demanded that we took 0 notes on anything he said but took thorough notes on the things the spirit said to our hearts.  It blew my mind. I had so many questions answered by the spirit in that meeting, so many.  It's so nuts to me that we really don't need to hear an apostle or a Prophet speak to have these big questions answered, all we need is the spirit!  The same spirit can be there with President Monson as there can be with some random guy in the sacrament, it just depends on our personal preparations and our personal worthiness.  Neat. Another cool thing is that Elder Bednar has perfect hair. Not a single strand out of place.  It's like a lego guy's hair.  I love it.

ANyway.  I love y'all a whole bunch!  BE safe and warm this week:)  I'll email again in 6 days tehe.  Love you a million.

Love,
Elder Caleb Porter